EP0357944B1 - Diagnostic dental x-ray installation for carrying out a panoramic tomography of a patient's jaw - Google Patents

Description

gewählt, wobei v die Filmgeschwindigkeit, n_x das Abbildungsverhältnis des bildübertragenden Systems und a den Zeilenabstand darstellen.The invention relates to an X-ray diagnostic device of the type described in the European patent application EP-A-0279 294, which only belongs to the prior art in accordance with Article 54 (3) and (4) EPC. Such a device differs from conventional panorama layer recording devices in that, instead of the x-ray film moving past the secondary aperture, a fixed CCD sensor arrangement is provided, which is controlled with the aid of a clock generator so that the charge images obtained are clocked into a storage zone at the same speed and then be clocked out line by line again using a shift register with which an X-ray film is moved relative to the secondary gap in the conventional recording technique. The clock frequency is according to the relationship

selected, where v represents the film speed, n _x the image ratio of the image-transmitting system and a the line spacing.

The invention specified in claim 1 is based on the object of specifying a possibility for an X-ray diagnostic device of the aforementioned type to be able to simultaneously detect several slices during an exposure, the slices being to be freely definable within certain limits. There should also be a possibility to be able to take meaningful recordings of layers that are not in one plane, but rather to take a curved course, for example of teeth lying obliquely in the jaw.

Because at least some of the CCD columns of the CCD sensor arrangement are controlled via separate clock inputs with different clock frequencies, several layers can be recorded simultaneously during a recording process. Each layer can be freely defined within certain limits.

The different control need not be carried out uniformly via the CCD sensor; it can advantageously be concentrated on certain surface areas of the CCD sensor or the sensor arrangement. The clock frequencies of groups of gaps can be divided so that the recorded layer assumes a curved course, so that teeth lying obliquely in the jaw can also be depicted sharply.

The depth of focus of the layer created can be varied by changing the image zone width of the sensor by passivating a few lines of the sensor.

Further advantages result from the following description of an exemplary embodiment.

• Figur 1 in einer Übersichtsdarstellung die wesentlichen Teile einer zahnärztlichen Röntgendiagnostikeinrichtung gemäß der Erfindung,
• Figur 2 einen Teil der Strahlenaufnahmeeinheit in schaubildlicher Darstellung,
• Figur 3 eine Variante zu der in Figur 2 dargestellten Ausführungsform.
• Figur 4 ein Prinzipschaltbild zur Aufbereitung und Auswertung der Signale,
• Figuren 5 und 6 eine vereinfachte Darstellung von Sekundärspalt einerseits und CCD-Sensor andererseits,
• Figur 7 eine Prinzipdarstellung, betreffend die Ansteuerung der Spalten mit unterschiedlicher Frequenz,
• Figuren 8 bis 10 eine Prinzipdarstellung des Vorganges einer Unterbrechung des Ladungstransports durch Ableiten von Ladungen.

Show it:

• 1 shows an overview of the essential parts of a dental X-ray diagnostic device according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 shows part of the radiation recording unit in a diagram,
• Figure 3 shows a variant of the embodiment shown in Figure 2.
• FIG. 4 shows a basic circuit diagram for processing and evaluating the signals,
• FIGS. 5 and 6 show a simplified representation of the secondary gap on the one hand and the CCD sensor on the other,
• FIG. 7 shows a basic diagram relating to the control of the columns with different frequencies,
• Figures 8 to 10 is a schematic diagram of the process of an interruption of the charge transport by discharging charges.

FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified perspective illustration of the essential parts of a dental X-ray diagnostic device for the creation of panoramic slice images. In a known manner, the diagnostic device contains a rotating unit 1 which can be pivoted about a vertical axis, consisting of a support arm 2, at one end of which an X-ray emitter 3 and at the other end of which a radiation recording unit 4 are held. The rotating unit 1 is adjustable in a known manner relative to the patient's head 5 in such a way that an overview of the entire jaw 6 of a patient can be created. The adjustment devices and movement sequences required for this purpose, which the rotary unit carries out, are well known and therefore do not need to be explained in detail anymore.

The radiation receiving unit 4 contains, in a known manner, an aperture 7 with a secondary slit 8 with dimensions of, for example, 5 × 125 mm. The secondary slit 8 is followed by means for converting the X-rays into visible rays. In the present exemplary embodiment, a scintillator layer 9 with the dimensions of the secondary gap is provided in the secondary gap level (FIG. 2). The scintillator layer 9 is followed by an image transmission element 10 in the form of a fiber optic, which reduces the format of the secondary gap from 5 × 125 mm to the format of the image zone of a CCD sensor 11 with the dimensions of, for example, 8 × 8 mm.

The CCD sensor 11 is of a type in which the memory and image zones (11a, 11b) are arranged spatially separated within the chip and in which the shift register 11c is coupled to the CCD memory zone 11b. Instead of this CCD type, a CCD type can also be used in which the image and memory zone are arranged together within a chip. In connection with the analogy between the charge movement and the film movement described above, it is advantageous to use a CCD sensor which no longer contains a memory zone, in which the signals are shifted line by line directly into the shift register and then clocked out.

In order to simplify the functional description, the following description assumes that the entire secondary gap 8 is imaged on the surface of a single CCD sensor, as shown in FIG. 2. From today's point of view, however, it is advisable to provide several CCD sensors in order to cover the secondary gap 8, as is shown in FIG. 3. According to this illustration, two CCD sensors 12 and 13, which are arranged approximately at right angles to the secondary gap plane and, as transmission elements, two fiber-optic elements 14, 15 are provided for imaging the secondary gap 8. The individual CCD sensors are of the same type as in FIG. 2, that is to say with a memory zone spatially separated from the image zone and a subsequent shift register. As mentioned above, these can advantageously also be designed without a storage zone.

The signal processing is explained using the basic circuit diagram according to FIG. 4. After that, the signals obtained from the detector arrangement (CCD sensor / sensors) are sent to an A / D converter 16 after signal processing, to which a digital image processing system with a preprocessing unit 17, an image memory 18, an image readout unit 19, a monitor 20 and connect a computer 21. At 22 is Finally, a clock generator, which will be explained in more detail later, is designated with which the CCD sensors are controlled. Advantageously, K-shift registers, K-signal preparations and KA / D converters can also be used corresponding to the K groups of columns.

The image information present at the output of a shift register 11c of the CCD sensor 11 (FIG. 2) is digitized in the associated A / D converter and then either entered directly into the image memory 18 or stored in the image memory 18 after preprocessing in the unit 17. For this purpose, the computer 21 issues the necessary control or readout commands.

The direct input of the signals received by the A / D converter into the image memory 18 is advantageous if the latter has a correspondingly large capacity at a reasonable cost or construction volume. In this case, the data is initially only saved during one revolution of the rotating unit and is only processed after the recording has been completed, i.e. after the emitter has rotated around the patient's head, i.e. added at the speed corresponding to a film recording. Although a relatively large amount of data has to be processed for this purpose, this solution has the advantage that it is possible to display any number of layers.

If the image storage capacity required from the aforementioned point of view cannot be obtained with economically justifiable expenditure, it may be advantageous to interpose said preprocessing unit 17. This preprocessing unit contains a buffer and an arithmetic processor, as a result of which the digital data from the A / D converter are added in a timely manner in accordance with a control command from the computer 21, that is to say are put together in such a way that a layer image of a desired layer position is produced. The resulting processed data are then placed in the image memory 18. By interposing the preprocessing unit 17 thus an image memory with a smaller capacity can be used. However, the layer position is determined by interposing such a preprocessing unit, ie the layer position can no longer be changed within certain limits, in contrast to the aforementioned alternative arrangement without a preprocessing unit, where the image data are only combined to form a layer image after being recorded.

A compromise can also be provided between the two possibilities, according to which several adjacent image columns are added in time in the preprocessing unit 17 before being stored in the image memory, and these sum columns are added to an image column after being stored.

The image formation is briefly explained below:

The patient is irradiated by a rectangular, slit-shaped beam bounded by a primary diaphragm located in the X-ray emitter 3. The beam strikes the secondary slit 8 of the secondary aperture 7 and then strikes the scintillator layer 9, where it is converted into visible beams, which are finally picked up by the CCD sensor. The signals recorded by the CCD sensor are proportional to the radiation intensity of the X-rays penetrating the patient's head.

In conventional slice recording technology, behind the secondary aperture, that is, behind the secondary slit 8, an X-ray film to be exposed is drawn past at a certain speed, the selected speed influencing the position of the tomographic layer, ie the tomographic layer can be changed by changing the film speed. In the present case, where the X-ray film is replaced by an electronic detector arrangement, the signals generated at the detector, as explained in more detail below, processed in a certain way into a panorama slice image that can be reproduced on a monitor.

5 and 6, the relationship between the secondary gap and the image zone of the CCD sensor is first explained. It is assumed that the secondary gap 8 is imaged on the image zone of one or more CCD sensors. The imaging ratio in the x direction, ie perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the secondary gap 8, is 1: n _x and 1: n _y in the y direction. After the secondary slit has a width of about 5 mm and the CCD sensors that can be used today have an image zone width of 8 mm, n _x = 1 in the case under consideration. Depending on the number and size of the image sensors used, the imaging scale n _y in the longitudinal direction of the slit can be between 1 and about 20 lie.

A pixel on the CCD image zone surface with the dimensions a * b (a = line spacing, b = column spacing) corresponds to a pixel of (n _x a) * (n _y b) in the secondary column plane. In the simplified overview according to FIGS. 4 and 5, 1 to n light pixels in the secondary gap correspond to 1 to n charge pixels in the CCD sensor. The same applies in the direction of the longitudinal expansion of the secondary gap. Accordingly, a line in the direction of the secondary gap is imaged on a CCD line.

wobei f_Takt die Anzahl der Zeilen pro Sekunde und (n_x · a) den CCD-Zeilenabstand, bezogen auf die Sekundärspaltebene, angibt. Bei einer typischen Filmgeschwindigkeit von 30 mm/s und einem Zeilenabstand von 20 µm und unter Zugrundelegung eines Abbildungsverhältnisses von 1:1 in x-Richtung würde sich eine Taktfrequenz von 1.500 Hz ergeben.By applying appropriate clock pulses via the clock generator 22, the image is transported from the image zone 11a to the memory zone 11b and from there is read out via the shift register 11c and input into the A / D converter. In normal operation, ie in the standard clock sequence of a CCD sensor, the image integration time is approximately 20 ms. The image is then clocked into the storage zone. This requires as many clock cycles as the CCD sensor has rows. Using a CCD type with 300 lines and a clock of The image zone is emptied after approx. 0.6 ms after 2 µs and can then immediately take a new image. While in conventional layer recording technology the film is moved past the secondary gap at a certain speed, i.e. during the movement of the film the image information located at the secondary gap is integrated on the image over a certain period of time, according to the invention this integration of the image information is electronically imitated by the The resulting light image on the scintillator is imaged on the surface of the CCD sensor and the resulting charge image is clocked in a certain cycle sequence from the image zone into the storage zone and is then clocked line by line via the shift register. The clock sequence is chosen so that the charge pattern, based on the secondary gap plane, has the same speed in the x-direction that a film would have with conventional layer recording technology. The clock frequency determined has the following relationship to the equivalent speed (v) of a film:

where f _clock indicates the number of lines per second and (n _x · a) the CCD line spacing, based on the secondary column level. With a typical film speed of 30 mm / s and a line spacing of 20 µm and based on an imaging ratio of 1: 1 in the x direction, a clock frequency of 1,500 Hz would result.

The process of image integration will not be explained further here. For this purpose, reference is made to the European patent application EP-A-0279 294 mentioned at the outset, in which the diagram sequences for explaining the image integration are shown.

As already mentioned, the presence of a memory zone in the CCD sensor is not absolutely necessary; it can rather be advantageous to shift the charges from the image zone line by line directly into the shift register and to clock them out there. This avoids unnecessary charge transport.

Looking at Figure 6 it is assumed that the CCD sensor 11 is divided into columns b₁ to b _m . As already explained, by integrating and moving the charges in the image zone 11a, a charge image is generated which corresponds to an exposed area on a conventionally irradiated X-ray film. The charges are shifted in columns from one CCD line to the next and clocked out into the storage zone 11b or directly into a shift register 1c. The speed at which this process takes place is determined by the shifting clock frequency. A sharply depicted layer results from the following relationship:

Mean:
d = distance film to object
l = distance film to radiation source
v = velocity of the radiation source perpendicular to the object
a = CCD line width
f = clock frequency

The product a · f corresponds to the film speed with conventional X-ray imaging technology.

As shown in Figure 7, some of the CCD columns b₁ to b _{m are driven} with different clock frequencies t₁ to t _k . Each clock frequency corresponds to a recording layer. The control can be evenly distributed via the CCD sensor; However, it is advantageous to focus the different activation of the columns on specific surface areas of the CCD sensor element, or when certain CCD sensor elements cover a secondary gap, on specific areas of the secondary gap. Such a concentration on certain surface areas is appropriate, for example, if several layers are to be captured in some image areas and a reduction in image resolution can be accepted, while in other image areas a single layer is sufficient. FIG. 7 shows such a concentration on the upper surface section of the CCD sensor. In the exemplary embodiment, the columns b₂, b₄, b₆, b₈ and b₁₀, the clock frequency t₂, the columns b₃, b₇ and b₁₁ and the clock frequency t₃, the columns b₁, b₅, b₉ and b₁₂ and then each further column are driven with the clock frequency t₁ . This means that in the upper section of the CCD element the columns are driven with three different clock frequencies corresponding to different layers, while from the twelfth column the sensor is only driven with one clock frequency. In the embodiment shown, three different layers corresponding to the clock frequencies t 1, t 2 and t 3 can thus be detected in the upper image section, while only one layer, namely the layer corresponding to the clock frequency t 3, is imaged in the lower image section.

Advantageously, the columns driven with the same clock frequency are driven in groups; However, individual control is also conceivable. For control purposes, each column has a corresponding clock input, which, according to FIG. 4, is connected to the clock generator 22.

The clock frequencies t ₁ to t _k can advantageously be divided so that the jaw is not a flat, but a curved layer.

With the aid of the computer 21 and the image processing unit 17, all the desired layers can be represented independently of one another, further intermediate layers can be calculated and also several layers can be combined to form a layer with a larger depth of field.

Based on the fact that a change in the depth of field can be achieved by changing the width of the active sensor surface, it is proposed according to a further development of the invention to selectively passivate the width of the gap during the recording by artificially passivating CCD lines located at the edge of the image zone influence. The passivation or separation of lines can be achieved by discharging charges into the substrate (ground) of the CCD sensor. Such an electrical decoupling of the charges can advantageously take place in that integrated analog switches are provided on the CCD sensor and are activated from the outside via correspondingly provided signal lines. The active sensor surface can be influenced by corresponding activation, a smaller active depth corresponding to a larger active sensor surface.

A possibility of decoupling or decoupling charges is described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, wherein one with a separate image and memory zone or without a memory zone can be used as the CCD sensor. FIG. 8 shows a basic illustration of the arrangement of the photosensitive cells and electrodes of a CCD sensor.

• den fotoempfindlichen Zellen a₁₁, a₁₂, a₁₃ ... a_1n, welche in der Darstellung für n-Zeilen in jeder Spalte b₁, b₂ ... b_m untereinander gezeichnet sind
• den Sperrelektroden c₁₁, c₁₂, c₁₃ ... c_1n für jede Zelle mit (nicht dargestellten) Anschlüssen zum Steuern des Abkoppelvorganges
• den Potentialgräben d₁, d₂ ... d_m, in die die Ladungen nach dem Abkoppeln "abgesaugt" und zur Masse (Substrat des CCD-Sensors) geleitet werden und
• den Trennzonen e₁, e₂ ... e_n zwischen den einzelnen Spalten b₁, b₂ ... b_m.

It is assumed that each pixel of a CCD sensor consists of four areas

• the photosensitive cells a₁₁, a₁₂, a₁₃ ... a _1n , which are shown in the illustration for n lines in each column b₁, b₂ ... b _m with each other
• the blocking electrodes c₁₁, c₁₂, c₁₃ ... c _1n for each cell with (not shown) connections for controlling the decoupling process
• the potential trenches d₁, d₂ ... d _m , into which the charges are "suctioned" after decoupling and passed to the ground (substrate of the CCD sensor) and
• the separation zones e₁, e₂ ... e _n between the individual columns b₁, b₂ ... b _m .

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the four areas are at four different voltage potentials (U), the arrowhead pointing to a higher voltage potential, as indicated by the arrow.

Normally, the charges flow line by line (lines 1, 2 ... n) from a₁₁, a₁₂ ... a _1n to the image storage zone or, if one does not exist, directly to the shift register. The distribution of the voltage potentials for these four areas is shown in FIG. 9 in this state.

Is at a certain point, e.g. at c₁₃, the blocking electrode activated, i.e. if a signal is set there via a corresponding connection, all charges fall from a ₁₁ to a₁₃ in the potential trench d₁, whereby these charges are deleted. This state is shown in simplified form in FIG. 10.

By specifically controlling certain blocking electrodes, the charge transport can take place at a certain point on the image plane interrupted and, as already mentioned above, the depth of field can be varied.

Claims (5)

1. A dental X-ray diagnostics device for preparing panorama-layer exposures of the jaw of a patient, containing the following features:

   a) a unit (1) able to be rotated about a vertical axis, which is the carrier, on the one hand, of an X-ray source (3), and on the other hand, a diaphragm (7) with a secondary gap,

   b) means (9) for converting the X-rays into visible rays,

   c) a detector arrangement (11) for forming electric signals proportional to the radiation intensity,

   d) an A/D converter (16) connected to the detector arrangement, which digitises the voltages produced by the detector arrangement,

   e) an image memory (18),

   f) a data processing device with a computer (21), which calculates an overview display from the signals delivered by the detector arrangement during a recording operation,

   g) an image reproduction device (20), connected to the data processing device,

   h) the detector arrangement contains one or several CCD-sensors (11), which are arranged so that the secondary gap (8) can be displayed on the image zone (11a), wherein a line in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the gap is displayed on a CCD-row.

   i) a clock generator (22) is connected to the CCD-sensor (11) through the clock pulses of which photographic images (LiB) in the secondary gap (8) are added to corresponding charge images (LB) to form a complete charge image (LBges), wherein the charge images (LB) are transferred from the image zone (11a), and if the case arises, into a storage zone (11b) and then read out by way of a shift register (11c) and subsequently transmitted to the A/D-converter (16),

   j) a clock frequency (f_Takt) of the clock generator (22) is selected so that the charge images (LB) are clocked out in lines by way of the shift register (11c) with the same speed (v), with which an X-ray film is moved relative to the secondary gap (8) with conventional recording techniques,

   k) at least some of the CCD-columns (b₁ to b_m) are driven individually or combined to form groups (b_2/1, b_4/1...b_10/1; b_3/2, b_7/2, b_11/2) by way of separate clock inputs with different clock frequencies (t₁, t₂, t₃...t_k).
2. An X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, characterised in that the different driving of the CCD-columns (b₁...b_m) is concentrated in certain surface regions of the CCD-sensor (11) or of the sensor arrangement (12,13).
3. An X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the clock frequencies (t₁ to t_k) are able to be divided with the aid of a clock generator (22) so that a curved layer is recorded from the jaw.
4. An X-ray diagnostics device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that through electric decoupling of charges on the edge of the image zone (11a) of the CCD-sensor (11) the width of the active sensor area (8) and therefore the depth of focus of the layer produced is able to be altered.
5. An X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 4, characterised in that the decoupling of the charges occurs by interrupting the charge transfer, for which purpose the CCD-sensor (11) contains integrated analog switches, which divert certain charges to the substrate of the CCD-sensor or to earth.

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